Operating gear for furnace bells



Nov. 1, 1932. *w. MARLEY 1,385,531

OPERATING GEAR FOR FURNACE BELLS Filed Sept. 19, 1931 Patented Nov. 1, 1932 UNITED STATES WILFRID MARLEY, OF WORKINGTON, CUMBERLAND, ENGLAND OPERATING GEAR FOB FURNACE BELLS Application filed September 19, 1931, Serial N 0. 563,881, and in Great Britain September 26, 1930.

bell-beam is lifted and the bell is caused to l This invention relates to bell-operating gear for furnace bells of the type including a bell proper, a bell-rod, a bell-beam and means for rocking the bell-beam so as to 5 cause the bell to perform opening movements and closing movements relatively to a hopper.

The invention provides improved bell-operating means comprising a first rope or chain (hereinafter referred to for cnvenience of description as rope) extending from the beam to the drum of a rope haulage device constituted by a motor-driven winch or the equivalent (hereinafter referred to as 1 Winch) a loaded sheave embraced by the rope and interposed between the winch and' the beam so as to exert tractive effort on said rope tending to move the bell into closed position, and a second rope connected to thewinch drum and so connected to the bellbeam as, when sub'ected to tension, to oppose the tractive e ort on the first rope, the arrangement being such that normal rotation of the drum in one direction is accompanied by closing movement of the bell until the bell seats upon the mouth of the hopper, and continued rotation of the winch drum is accompanied by slackening of the second rope and by the bringing into action of the Weight.

The figure of the drawing illustrates diagrammatically bell-operating gear according to the invention.

In the drawing, A denotes the furnace bell, B the hopper, A the suspension rod, 0 the bell-beam and D the fulcrum of the bellbeam. 7

Attached to the end E of the bell-beam C is a first rope F passing round a sheave H to a rope haulage device constituted by a mo tor-driven winch including a drum K around which the rope is wound, the sheave H being loaded by a weight J. Connected also to the drum is a second rope L which passes round a pulley M and is also attached to the bell-beam at E.

When it is desired to move the bell A from the closed position shown, the drum K is rotated counter-clockwise and caused to pull the rope L whereby the end E of the belowered. a

When it is desired to close the bell, the drum is rotated clockwise whereby the rope L is released and the end E. of the bell-beam is subjected to the action of-the weight J. Under the influence of the weight J, the bell is raised until it enters into contact with the mouth of the hopper B.

On continued clockwise rotation of the drum K, tension on the rope L is released and the balance weight, actingthrough the rope F, maintains the bell in closed position.

It will be seen that, by virtue of the construction described, both movements of the bell are efi'ected positively and that the closing movement is effected without imparting shock to the bell or associated mechanism.

It will also be seen that the balance weight J which is required to provide the final tension on the rope F, is in itself automatically held in balance during the major period of th operation of the bell, the reaction only coming into force at the final moment during which the tension on the rope L is released. The rope F passing downwards from the drum or crank K overthe pulley H is being lowered at the same rate as the remaining portion of rope F is being raised. Consequently, except during the period in which the tension on the rope L is released, the rope is passing over the pulley H without either raising 0r lowering the balance weight J. Thus the balance weight is held in balance or part balance as desired between the two ropes, and the whole of the power used in operating the gear is that which is due to the reaction from the dead and live loads from the bell A, except only at the final moment when the balance weight takes over its particular function of maintaining a load in the rope F, causing an unbalanced load on the bell-beam at E, and thus holds the bell in a closed position.

If desired, the winch indicated at K may be replaced by a power-operated crank attached to both ropes F and L.

I claim:

In bell-operating gear for furnace bells, in combination with the bell, a bell-beam constituted as a double-armed lever from one arm of which said bell is suspended, a ropehaulage device, a first rope extending downwardly in the form of a loop from the other arm of said lever to said rope-haulage device, a loaded sheave freely carried by said rope at the bight of the loop tensioning said rope whereby to rock said beam in the direction to impart closing movement to said bell, a sheave mounted on a fixed axis above said beam, and a second rope extending upwardly from said other arm around said second mentioned sheave to said haulage device whereby on operati n of said haulage device in one direction the bell is first moved to closing position Without vertical movement of said first mentioned sheave, and then on continued operation of said haulage device said second rope is slackened so that the load on said first mentioned-sheave acts through said first mentioned rope to hold said bell closed, and on operation of said rope-haulage device in the other direction said bell is moved from closed position to open position without vertical movement of said first mentioned sheave.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

WILFRID MARLEY.- 

